The Elemental Trilogy Box Set

by Toni Cox

  Even with the storm, they had managed to cross the mountains and make camp on the plains during the early hours of the morning. With just a few hours of sleep, they were now ready to fly again.

  “Levandor is a long narrow country. Your Fire Dragons do not lack in speed, so tell your men to make a large breakfast. They deserve it after the night they had,” Blaid said.

  “I agree,” Maia added, “but I would like to ask that we make a detour.”

  “A detour?” Blaid asked.

  “I thought you wanted to get home as soon as possible,” Siana said.

  “I do, but there is something Blaid and I need to do and it needs to be done before we reach Grildor.”

  Blaid frowned. “What is it, Maia?”

  Around them, Siana’s warriors prepared several fireplaces, lit fires, and started cooking. Without thinking, the three of them settled at the nearest fire, seeking its warmth. Lunar still ran across the sparkling, winter landscape, winding around the lone trees that dotted the plains.

  “We need to go to Yolanden Oldenspear.”

  “The crazy old man?”

  “Who is Yolanden Oldenspear?” Siana asked.

  “A sage. And, yes, the same. He had a message for us and we need to do as he asked if we want a chance to win this war.”

  “Maia, he spoke in riddles and made no …” Blaid paused, and tilted his head to the left, a deeper frown on his face. “Those who come as two, must leave as one. That is what he said, is it not?”

  “It is,” Maia confirmed.

  “What did you say Midnight did to the dragons over the mountains? Hive mind? Did all of them not also become one?”

  “Yes, although I think it would be different for us. I believe Yolanden wants us, you and me, Blaid, to join our minds. To become one, so to speak. To combine our powers to increase their strength, maybe even control them better. I do not have all the answers, but from the moment I changed into the falcon and I found that missing piece of myself, many things became clear to me that I never understood before. I am sure we need to seek the old man out. Please, Blaid, can we spare a day?”

  “Of course.” He reached over to take her hand. “We will camp at the border to Serengate tonight, then cross over tomorrow morning. It will take us two days to traverse Serengate if all goes well and, if I remember correctly, the old man lived but a few hours flight from the Serengate border within Bron.”

  Know the place. Take you there. Weather bad east of here.

  All three looked up as Midnight’s thoughts sounded in their minds.

  “Oh!” Siana gasped, having heard Midnight’s voice for the first time.

  Will it hinder our travels, Midnight? Blaid asked.

  Levandor cold. Windy. Light snow. Find no problem there.

  And Serengate?

  Heavy snow. Storms. In the sky and on the ground.

  Thank you, Midnight.

  “How does he know this?” Siana asked in a hushed tone as Midnight flew out of sight.

  “He probable scouted ahead while we were sleeping,” Maia said.

  “Does he not need to sleep?”

  “I am unsure of what is happening to him of late,” Maia confessed. “Midnight was already a large dragon when I found him in the desert and he has grown at a slow and steady rate over the past six decades. Now, however, since the attacks on Grildor started, his growth rate seems to have accelerated. Since I came home two years ago, he has almost doubled in size. I cannot explain it.”

  “You are right,” Blaid cut in. “I always think of him as a large dragon, but now that you mention it, he is much larger than he was when I first saw him.”

  “Also, the way we communicate has changed. We used to be able to speak over a limited distance only; now, there is no limitation.”

  “That is fascinating,” Siana said with big eyes.

  “There are numerous changes,” Maia continued. “Since his injury to his underbelly during a fight with an Ice Dragon, he has grown thick armour plates on his stomach. Because of his exposure to so many people, his ability to communicate with word-like thoughts has increased and it sometimes almost sounds as if he is speaking in sentences. He is faster, stronger, has more stamina, needs less sleep, and I am sure his fire burns hotter.”

  A tall young man, dressed in a heavy fur coat made from the fur of a Royal Wolf, interrupted them then to bring them their tea, as well as hot porridge with melted butter.

  Silently they sipped on their tea for a moment. Maia had been thinking about Midnight’s changes for a while now, but had not spoken them aloud. Putting them into words somehow made them seem more meaningful than they had been in her head. Even Midnight had simply shrugged them off every time she mentioned it.

  Nothing to worry about.

  I am not worried, she replied to him, but I think I understand now. We are soul forged, Midnight. As I am evolving to save my people, so you are evolving to help me. We are both growing in our abilities and turning into what we are meant to be. You have always been the noblest and most magnificent of dragons, but once your changes are complete, no creature will ever be able to rival you.”

  Maia felt the glow from her compliment radiate off his soul and, high up in the sky, Midnight spread high mighty wings casting a small shadow over their camp fire.

  “It must be a defence mechanism,” Siana said. “Probably because of the war.”

  Blinking, Maia replied, “Yes, I think so.”

  “The Vampyres are in for a treat when they see him again,” Blaid added. “Not even their Lava Bats will be able to do him any harm.”

  “Lava Bats? Do tell!”

  By nightfall, they reached the border between Levandor and Serengate. As Midnight had predicted, the weather throughout Levandor had been below freezing, with frost clinging to the dry ground at the foothills of the Elben Torrs, and thick snow further inland from the mountain range.

  Freezing winds buffeted them, intermittently carrying snow, but it had hardly affected the dragons’ speed during the day. The Elves sat stoically upon their backs, enduring the freezing temperatures at their flying altitude, eating as they travelled, without setting down once during the day.

  Siana still thought it strange to communicate with the mind. Speaking was simply impossible during flight, especially with the high winds whistling all around them, so Maia and Blaid would only mind-link with her briefly if they noticed anything urgent, such as Vampyres on the ground.

  Maia and Blaid, however, continued the routine they had started on their way to Elbendal. Connected with their minds only, they took the chance to get to know each other better. So much they had learned already, yet time and again they surprised each other with things they had not known about the other.

  The only factor Maia always kept hidden from Blaid was how her body felt. Although they had agreed not to be physical with each other until they had the blessing of their people, she could not deny the desires of her body. It reacted to him, his nearness, in ways she could not control.

  The worry for Silas had temporarily silenced her desire. Since they had been to the cave, the Cavern of a Million Lives, however, her desire for Blaid had increased in intensity and even with her worry for her homeland, it was all she could think about sometimes. Keeping the thoughts to herself became increasingly difficult.

  When they finally landed along the edge of a snow-covered forest and she ran down her dragon’s leg and jumped to the ground, even Midnight was relieved. Unable to keep him out of her soul, he was the only one aware of her feelings.

  The two that are one, Midnight grumbled in annoyance before he flew off to let them set up camp.

  The wild dragons followed Midnight, probably to roost along a jagged ridge about a mile away. Siana kept her War Dragons along the forest’s edge, her warriors taking their saddles and gear off, before settling them along the treeline.

  “The sun has already set,” Siana said, stepping up to them, “but your dragon was right. We reached the border within one
day.” She shivered. “How far north have we come? It is freezing.”

  “We are probably close to five hundred miles further north than Caverna Estralis,” Blaid replied. “And Grildor lies another five hundred miles further north. It will get colder yet, sister.”

  “Great.” She pulled her fur coat closer around her lithe body. “I thought the Vampyres didn’t like the cold. Why did they not pick a southern Gate to attack?”

  Maia and Blaid glanced at each other.

  Had anyone ever asked that question? The Temple and the Pyramid were both in more southern countries yet, as far as they knew, neither had seen many attacks. The countries around both those Gates were as rich in life as Grildor and its neighbouring countries. Why, then, had they chosen Grildor?

  Efficient as the night before, and in the morning, Siana’s warriors set up camp quickly under the overhanging branches of the forest. Already, the trees were taller here and Maia felt more at home. They took a seat at a fire, huddling around it, soaking up its warmth. Lunar, having investigated the surrounding area, came to sit with them.

  “I am sure Lord Longshadow has thought about that question many times,” Blaid said. “Yet I feel we should revisit this question. Something bothers me about it.”

  “Me, too,” Maia admitted.

  Siana looked between the two, unsure of how she had managed to start such a serious discussion.

  “The moment you said it, Siana, I felt like we have been missing something this entire time. It is as if we have been looking at this problem the wrong way and now …” he hesitated, “… you have opened a door and we managed to get a glimpse of how it actually is, but we are still unable to see the rest of what is behind that door. Does that make any sense?”

  “I know exactly what you mean, Blaid,” Maia said. “This whole time we have been missing something crucial. The one factor that could help us win the war. Or let us know that we have lost it. I feel, for a moment, the answer was within my grasp, but then it was blown away. When home, we need to discuss this with my brother and …” she swallowed, “… and Silas.”

  Maia stood and paced around the fire. She had all this power within her, yet was completely ineffectual against the Vampyres. Even with the help of her mighty Soul Dragon, she could not defeat an entire army. She strongly believed the Mother had chosen her for a reason. Why give her all this power if her world was coming to an end? And if the Mother had given her these powers to defeat the Vampyres, then why had she not given her the understanding to wield this power?

  She was not the same person she had been when she left for her test on Earth. Neither was she the same as when she returned from Earth. She had grown ever strong in her powers over the last two years, as Midnight had grown, and she knew her confidence had with it. Still, she was not strong enough.

  Her only glimmer of hope now was the old man. During her transformation into the falcon, something within her had opened, which had allowed her to see into her brother’s mind. They had always had a connection, but never been this strong, or clear, before. The transformation had freed her from invisible bonds and released something she could put no name to.

  Midnight said she shone bright now and that whatever it was had been trying to come out all her life. Now that it was free, it wanted more. She did not understand it yet and, most of the time, it dwelt as a gnawing longing in the pit of her stomach. Maia felt both richer and emptier for it. Richer for having found it; emptier for knowing it still missed an essential part.

  The two that are one kept replaying in her mind like the chorus of a song. Intuition, and probably her elemental senses, told her the statement had to do with how she was feeling. If she could only find out what it meant, she could find the missing part of herself.

  Maia held her hands out to the fire and stared into the flames. She had spoken to Blaid in private and he agreed that seeing Yolanden might not be such a terrible idea. Although he had been apprehensive about going back there at first, he eventually admitted to her that he had been thinking about the old Elf since that day. More recently, the amulet the old man had given him felt heavier around his neck, as did Maia’s around hers, and he, too, sensed he was missing something.

  “My Lady,” one of Siana’s men interrupted her thoughts. “Your dinner.”

  “Thank you.” She took the bowl of stew and retook her seat beside Blaid.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Just thoughtful,” she replied. “I want to get to Yolanden. He has answers for us. Even if we have to spend a day with him, I am prepared to do that.”

  “Aye,” Blaid agreed. “He has power and knowledge. And we have his medallions. There must be more to what he said to us. The longer I think about it, the more I need to go back.”

  “He certainly seems like a strange old man, the way you talk about him,” Siana cut in.

  “He gave us an elemental medallion each, the ones they make for Prime Elementals only. Made from prime metals and emeralds,” Blaid said, reaching into his coat to pull it out.

  “I have never seen one like that,” Siana gasped.

  “Master Margoth gifted me one at my ceremony, but I never wore it in full view. Our father was unhappy enough with me.” He drew the other forth to show her.

  “I have two as well,” Maia said, pulling both out for Siana to see.

  “So, why did this old elf give them to you?” Siana questioned.

  “We do not know.” Blaid said. “One of the reasons we want to go back.”

  “The other is this riddle he kept repeating. You know it by now. We believe it to have more meaning than we at first thought.”

  “I am not afraid of much,” Siana stated, “but when you talk about that old Elf, I get the shivers. Let us eat before the stew gets cold. The night promises to be long and dark. Let us get what rest we can and then get an early start. We will reach this sage of yours soon enough.”

  The morning greeted them with thick mist hanging heavy over the forest. With eerie sounds, the dragons shook out their wings and opened up the circle around the tents, so the warriors could break camp.

  Maia stood facing the forest, barely seeing the trees. Her senses had woken her long before sunrise and she came out here to listen to the forest. Sometime later, Blaid had joined, keeping a silent vigil by her side, listening to the sounds no one else could hear.

  “My Lord, My Lady, your tea.”

  “Thank you, Tanyl,” Maia said, getting to know Siana’s warriors by name.

  They sipped their tea in more silence for a while, but with the activity around camp, the forest had fallen silent.

  “I wonder how the Rivens communicate with each other over such distances,” Blaid said.

  “It isn’t them,” Maia answered. “They speak to the forest and the forest conveys the message. All of nature is connected. The Rivens are so much a part of it that they have found a way to tap into it. You remember the lessons Belura taught us about harnessing the Mother’s powers. We haven’t been practicing. He will be angry.”

  “You’re right. There alone lies so much untapped power,” Blaid said, suddenly excited. “Combined with our elemental powers, Belura’s natural magic could potentially be so much more destructive than I have given it credit. I only thought of using his powers as themselves, but now I see, with us, they could be so much more.”

  “We shall speak to him upon our return,” Maia agreed. “The news the forest is spreading is not good. We need to get word to my brother, as well as all the armies out there.”

  “What news is this?” Siana asked, stepping up to them.

  “The forest speaks of widespread invasions throughout all the countries east of the Elben Torrs. They are small groups of Vampyres, most with Werewolves, but they are reaping havoc upon the communities left behind by the armies marching towards Greystone.”

  “The forest? How do you know this?”

  “Blaid has befriended a forest guardian, a Riven,” Maia said, feeling just a little proud, “
and now we can hear how he communicates with other Rivens though the forests.”

  “A Riven? How can you befriend a Riven?”

  “It is a long story, sister, and one for another day. Let’s just say that he is one ally we will be happy to have on our side when the fighting truly begins. Now,” Blaid looked around to see how far the warriors were with packing up camp, “knowing what we do, it is ever more important to get back with haste. We do believe Lord Longshadow has sent for the armies of the Alliance of Kings, but we have no way of knowing where those armies are now. I know Father did not want to give us an estimate, but how long do you think it will take him to bring his army to Grildor?”

  “From where we left them, it will take four days to reach the Euëla River. It is the major Trade Route between Elbendal and the southern countries and flows south past the Elben Torrs, gathering most of its runoff streams as it makes its way past. Once past the Elben Torrs, it flows east for a while, briefly flowing through Sentra Merl and Wilstantia, before turning south. Father will commandeer a fleet of riverboats, which will bring them to Wilstantia within eleven days. Then, if they run into no difficulties, or weather, they should reach Greystone within another thirty to forty days from there.”

  “It is still faster than we anticipated,” Blaid said, “but I cannot shake the feeling that we might need them there sooner. I sincerely hope there are other armies on their way already.”

  “We are ready, Commander,” Tanyl came to tell them.

  Together, the three walked towards the waiting Vulkan. Even in the thick mist, his red hide shone as bright as lava. He cawed softly at the sight of Siana.

  “I do not understand why this is happening to our people,” Siana said as she climbed into the saddle, “but there are no other two people I’d rather go to war with.”

  Lunar startled them as she raced past, bounded up Vulkan’s outstretched leg, and settled in front of Siana. With a click of her tongue, Siana urged Vulkan into the air. Maia and Blaid stepped back as the red dragon spread his wings and buffeted them with wind, stirring the misty air into whirling eddies.